Tropical Storm Debby has moved into the U.S. Southeast with the threat of extended torrential downpours and flooding after raking Florida with heavy rain and high winds.
The storm has killed at least six people and caused flooding in historic Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, and elsewhere on the Southeast's Atlantic Coast. Authorities in states farther north were closely monitoring its progress.
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Debby made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane. The categorization is based on wind speeds, but meteorologists say it's the storm's rainfall capacity that makes it extremely dangerous.
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Debby causes aviation disruptions
Aviation disruptions are getting worse after thunderstorms that are being enhanced by Debby hit the New York City area, with cancellations and delayed flights at all three of the region's major airports.
LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International all endured ground stops Tuesday due to the storms, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
More than a third of departures and nearly a third of arrivals from LaGuardia were canceled, according to FlightAware.com.
Massive cancelations can leave planes and crews out of position, snowballing into even more problems in the coming days.
Many canceled flights were also reported at smaller airports in the Southeast, such as Myrtle Beach International Airport in South Carolina. More than 40 percent of flights scheduled to arrive there Tuesday were canceled, the website showed.
Heavy rains in New York City enhanced by moisture from Tropical Storm Debby, forecasters say
In New York City, heavy rainstorms that local meteorologists said are being enhanced by moisture associated with Tropical Storm Debby caused localized flooding of streets and expressways Tuesday, leaving some motorists stuck in flood-prone areas.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch until noon on Wednesday for the entire city.
New York City Emergency Management warned New Yorkers of the potential for flash flooding, deploying drones with loudspeakers in some neighborhoods to urge people living in basement apartments to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice.
The National Weather Service says more heavy rain is possible in New York from Thursday to Saturday with tropical moisture associated with Debby.
A sixth storm-related death has been reported
A sixth storm-related death has been reported.
A 48-year-old man in Gulfport, Florida, was reported missing Monday after his anchored sailboat was seen partially sunk with the man’s dog on it, WTSP-TV reported. Police confirmed on Tuesday that a body recovered was that of the missing man.
Brian Clough had anchored his sailboat about 50 feet (15 meters) from the shoreline, according to the Gulfport Police Department.
Authorities previously had reported four storm-related deaths in Florida and another in Georgia.
Latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center
The center of Tropical Storm Debby is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Savannah, Georgia, and moving east-northeast at 3 mph (5 kph), the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday in its 8 p.m. advisory.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 kph) with higher gusts. Tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph (63 kph) extend outward up to 205 miles (330 kilometers) from the center.
Debby’s center is off the Georgia coast and is expected to move back inland over South Carolina on Thursday, the hurricane center said. The main rainfall threat includes the eastern half of South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina through Friday.
Parts of Virginia, the Middle Atlantic states, western and northern New York State and northern New England could see 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain with local amounts reaching 8 inches (20 centimeters) through Saturday, along with a threat of flash and urban flooding.
Virginia governor declares state of emergency
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon based on the potential for strong winds, heavy rains and flooding that could come as Tropical Storm Debby slowly moves up the coast.
“It’s crucial that we work together and remain vigilant during these times to minimize the impact of the storm,” Youngkin said in a statement. “The effects of Debby are far-reaching, and our neighboring states are facing significant challenges.”
The declaration will mobilize resources and equipment to respond to the storm, which is expected to begin impacting Virginia on Wednesday evening.
“The National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center forecasts are predicting the potential for tropical storm force winds, heavy rain, and severe flooding across the entirety of the state,” Youngkin said.
Firefighters use boats to evacuate residents and deliver supplies in one Savannah neighborhood
Floodwaters swamped several streets in the Tremont Park neighborhood in west Savannah, where firefighters Tuesday used boats to evacuate some residents and waded in waist-deep water to deliver bottled water and supplies to others who refused to leave.
Michael Jones said downpours sent water gushing into his home Monday evening, overturning the refrigerator and causing furniture to float. “The water was just everywhere,” Jones said. “You couldn’t get out of the door. You stepped out the door and it almost felt like you stepped in a sinkhole.”
Jones said he spent a sleepless night lying on the kitchen table. Then firefighters checking door-to-door Tuesday showed up with a boat, taking Jones and others to safety.
“It was hell all night,” Jones said. “It was a struggle, but God is good.”
Flooding could persist long after storm moves on, South Carolina governor says
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Tuesday that Tropical Storm Debby hasn’t been as bad as feared. But he warned residents that the flooding threat could continue long after the slow-moving system moves on.
Debby was spinning back out to sea Tuesday afternoon and was expected to slowly churn just off South Carolina for more than 24 hours. Forecasters said 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) of rain could fall in rural areas of northern South Carolina and southern North Carolina that were devastated by huge floods in Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018.
And if that much rain falls inland, it could send floodwaters on an up to two-week trek to the sea, inundating homes and businesses along its path.
“It takes time. A lot of this flooding will happen likely after so we’re going to have to be alert for a long time,” McMaster said.
No deaths or injuries have been reported in South Carolina since Debby’s bands first started hitting the state Monday.
Heavy rains spill water over South Carolina dam but structure holds
Flooding from Debby wasn’t limited to coastal areas.
Water started spilling over the top of a small dam near Walterboro, South Carolina, but it didn’t crumble, Colleton County Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief David Greene said in a video briefing. An apartment complex in Walterboro did flood and a number of roads in the county were blocked either by standing water or fallen trees, but no major damage was reported, Greene said.
Colleton County fire officials sent out a warning Tuesday about the McGrady Dam near Walterboro, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Charleston. They said about 50 people might be affected if the dam was breached.
To the south, the neighboring community of Green Pond reported 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain since Debby first started to hit the area Monday, Greene said.
In South Carolina, uncertainty but preparedness
South Carolina residents aren't sure how strong Debby's ultimate punch will be where they are, but they're preparing for any scenario.
“There’s a lot of question marks,” said David E. Lally, 83, who lives near the coast and stocked up with groceries and a 12-pack of Miller Lite. He worries Debby's forecast heavy rains could cause problems on the Waccamaw River and other streams.
Crooked Hammock Brewery in North Myrtle Beach decided to close Tuesday afternoon as rain bore down and the region faced threats of flash flooding, tornadoes and storm surge.
“No one can pinpoint exactly what areas the flooding will occur in, and we’re unsure of how bad it will be. We just know it is inevitable and want to keep our team as safe as possible,” marketing coordinator Georgena Dimitriadis wrote in an email.
Florida keeps a wary eye on areas upstream
Officials warned Tuesday that all the water expected to fall on Georgia and South Carolina from Tropical Storm Debby could cause serious flooding downstream in Florida for days or weeks to come.
“We are going to see more flooding in northern Florida,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a briefing in Steinhatchee, near where Debby made initial landfall as a Category 1 hurricane.
“You’re going to see the tributaries rise. That’s just inevitable. How much? We’ll see,” he said. “It may be that it’s not flooded today and it could be flooded tomorrow.”
The National Weather Service warned that parts of the St. Marys, Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers are projected to reach major flood stage west of Jacksonville and north of Gainesville, with the potential to inundate roads and houses.
Parts of southwest Florida already flooded, leading to 500 rescues from homes in Sarasota County.
Officials said it may be two weeks before they can fully assess damage in parts of north-central Florida as they wait for rivers to crest.
Savannah largely escapes major flooding — so far
In Savannah, Georgia, the steady, soaking rainfall eased, at least temporarily, by late morning Tuesday as the storm’s center reached the state's coast. Authorities expressed relief that the most dreadful predictions of 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain had so far not materialized.
“We are blessed and highly favored for what was predicted to come our way -- we got a majority of it, but we didn’t get the brunt,” Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis said. A curfew put in place Monday night was being lifted, he said.
Significant flooding was reported in at least one neighborhood, with firefighters using boats to evacuate stranded residents in the Tremont Park section of west Savannah.
Other neighborhoods in Chatham County, which includes Savannah, remained flooded. Authorities asked people to avoid those areas while cleanup continues.
Elsewhere, streets that had flooded during downpours Monday evening were mostly clear. With many offices and businesses closed, residents jogged and walked their dogs.
The forecast called for more rain, some of it heavy, in Savannah in the coming days as Debby crawls offshore. The National Weather Service reported 6.68 inches (16.96 centimeters) of rainfall in Savannah on Monday. That’s more rain than Georgia’s oldest city saw in all of August last year.
Charleston extends curfew and tells ‘yahoos’ to stay off roads
The peninsula that makes up much of the downtown and older, historic parts of Charleston, South Carolina, will remain closed Tuesday as Tropical Storm Debby spins nearby, Mayor William Cogswell said.
Police have barricaded all eight roads into the peninsula and let only essential workers and emergency personnel in or out since 11 p.m. Monday. The barriers will remain in place until at least Wednesday morning.
“We especially don’t need any yahoos driving through the water and causing damage to properties,” Cogswell said.
Attention now turns to Debby moving offshore, perhaps strengthening and sending stronger winds onshore, causing power outages and some tidal flooding Wednesday into Thursday.
Georgia governor tells residents to stay vigilant
At a news conference Tuesday at Georgia’s emergency management center in Atlanta, Gov. Brian Kemp urged residents in the storm area to remain vigilant and stay off roads. “Do not let this storm lull you to sleep,” he said.
Kemp said that in the best case, the storm area will get another 4 or 5 inches (10 or 12.7 centimeters) of rain. But he warned that another model showed the storm stalling and moving back into Georgia, dumping as much as 9 additional inches (22.9 centimeters) of rain.
Still, State Meteorologist Will Lanxton said the possibility of catastrophic flooding is much less likely.
Debby brings flooding, tornadoes to South Carolina
South Carolina is bracing for days of rain through Thursday from Tropical Storm Debby. It already spawned tornadoes and caused flooding Tuesday in areas along the state's coast.
The tornadoes toppled trees and damaged a few homes on Kiawah Island and Edisto Island between Savannah and Charleston. A Walmart, an Applebee’s and other businesses were damaged, and several vehicles flipped in Moncks Corner, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) inland from Charleston.
Radar estimated more than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain fell between Hilton Head Island and Charleston overnight. There were local reports of flooding, including parts of downtown Charleston that often flood, but no widespread damage.
Some forecasts indicate Debby could bring 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) of rain to rural areas of North and South Carolina that were devastated by floods in Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018. Each caused over $1 billion in damage and killed dozens.
More than 155,000 customers lacked power in Florida and Georgia on Tuesday morning, down from a peak of more than 350,000, according to PowerOutage.us and Georgia Electric Membership Corp.
Biden approves Georgia disaster declaration
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for much of Georgia, making disaster assistance available for the effects of Hurricane Debby, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday.
The declaration authorizes FEMA to mobilize equipment and other resources to protect lives, property and public health, including coordinating evacuations and shelters.
Charleston's geography creates a special threat
Much of South Carolina's historic Charleston peninsula lies on low marshland filled in over the years by dirt and debris.
With the Ashley and Cooper rivers on either side, the city of about 155,000 is hard to drain, especially during high tide or when the winds blow onshore from the Atlantic Ocean. Rising sea levels have made it harder, with water covering streets more than twice a month now — even without a storm like Debby looming.
The rivers and deep port have been critical to Charleston since its founding in 1670.
The city's emergency plan includes sandbags for residents, opening parking garages so residents can park their cars above floodwaters, and an online mapping system that shows which roads are closed by flooding.
Debby still getting energy from ocean water, expert says
Debby has weakened over land because tropical cyclones derive their energy from warm water, but part of the circulation was still interacting Tuesday with water over the Atlantic, said Richard Pasch, a senior hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center.
The storm’s center is expected to move out over the water off the Georgia and South Carolina coast, then move back inland, so it could restrengthen, but it’s not clear how much, he said.
Tropical storm warnings were posted from northeastern Florida up into North Carolina, and very heavy rain is expected, leading to catastrophic flooding across parts of southeastern Georgia, the eastern half of South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina through Friday, he said.
“Tropical cyclones always produce heavy rain, but normally as they’re moving, you know, it doesn’t accumulate that much in one place,” he said. “But when they move very slowly, that’s the worst situation.”
Charleston ready with sandbags, parking garages
Debby's center was over southeastern Georgia early Tuesday with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph (75 kph), and it was moving northeast near 7 mph (11 kph). The center is expected to move off Georgia’s coast later Tuesday. Some strengthening is forecast on Wednesday and Thursday as Debby drifts offshore, before it moves inland over South Carolina on Thursday.
The emergency plan in the city of Charleston, South Carolina, includes sandbags for residents, opening parking garages so residents can park their cars above floodwaters, and an online mapping system that shows which roads are closed by flooding.
Hundreds rescued from flooded homes in Sarasota, Florida, area
About 500 people were rescued from flooded homes in Sarasota, Florida, a beach city popular with tourists, the Sarasota Police Department said Monday in a social media post.
“Essentially we’ve had twice the amount of the rain that was predicted for us to have,” Sarasota County Fire Chief David Rathbun said in a social media update.
Just north of Sarasota, officials in Manatee County said in a news release that 186 people were rescued from flood waters.
“We are facing an unprecedented weather event with Hurricane Debby,” said Jodie Fiske, Manatee County's public safety director. “The safety of our residents is our top priority, and we are doing everything in our power to respond effectively to this crisis.”